


Skin And Bones

by Shade_Penn1



Category: Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Genetic Engineering, Rebirth, Trust
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-02-13
Updated: 2013-02-14
Packaged: 2017-11-29 04:13:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/682643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shade_Penn1/pseuds/Shade_Penn1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based on the 'Skeleton Woman' story.</p><p>He waited at the bottom of the lake for so long, that just when he thought he couldn't take it anymore, his chance for renewal came in the form of a lure thrown into the deep waters he was trapped in.</p><p>All Steve had wanted was some time to himself, he was not expecting what he got instead.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

_If he had been feeling generous, he could have forgiven this whole thing as being caused by a fit of accidental rage, but the rock striking against his head, rendering him unconscious and waking up to feel the water in his lungs, he was not em >and more than anything he didn’t want to die, but he could feel his own life slipping away and any chance for survival was fading as the light of the sun grew fainter and fainter in his eyes…or was that because he was sinking so deeply?_

He didn’t want to die, he didn’t want to die, he didn’t want to die!

_He could feel his chest grow heavier because of the water, but then it was like a calmness coming over him and his body felt light, just floating through the water as it sank deeper and deeper. He could hardly feel himself anymore, and wondered just what was going on._

_He couldn’t see the sun anymore through the blackness of the bottom of the ocean, or where he may have ended up, but his mind was still aware of everything around him even though he couldn’t feel anything. He supposed this was for the best as for what came next; what felt like years and years, he saw scraps of what had been his skin and hair be eroded from his body until nothing remained but the bones by time and the fish thinking he was something for them to nibble on._

_With only his mind remaining and the thought of one day seeing the surface again, he went through all he knew for some hope of saving himself. He had never been a very happy person, but he had been smart, and he was smart enough to know that he could end his own prolonged suffering of something that could never happen by stopping his want for existing._

_But he didn’t; stubbornness, if the people had been particularly generous with such a word, was one of his main traits, it was what kept him clinging to any chance of life._

_No matter how bleak things were. Stupidity though, a word that no matter_ how _much the people were wary or didn’t trust him, was never used. His eyes were unsettling, and his mannerisms were considered creepy even with how boisterous he was, though he had never thought that anyone would have attacked him._

 _He was right, none of_ them _had, and that was where his forgiveness had run thin. When or if he could do it, the very first thing he was going to do was purge the familiar claim by using someone else’s body._

_But he had to wait first; and wait he would._

_He’d always been patient._


	2. Chapter 1

Steve stared down at the water with a sense of trepidation; he wasn't _scared_ so much as anxious, he’d just spent seventy years frozen in the deep waters and he had no desire to go through that again. A pool was different, he couldn’t _freeze_ in one of those and he knew where the bottom was; an ocean wasn’t like that, and though he was starting to trust Stark and the others, he seriously doubted the man’s judgement on leaving him here for Steve to have some time to himself.

For one thing he quite honestly didn’t believe Stark when he flippantly told him that the lake was completely frozen over and he could have a blast with the ice fishing; this really wasn’t _his_ kind of thing, much less could he understand how the locals could trust the ice not to give out under them.

He wanted to curse Stark for leaving him here, but the man had already gone back to warmer climates and Steve was there for the whole weekend, with nothing for miles except the promise of getting picked up after the weekend and the cabin to go back to.

With a sigh and a resigned shrug of the shoulders Steve decided to put his trust out there and continued onto the ice toward the hut with a fishing pool and tackle box in hand. Once inside he found it warmer than he expected even with the winter coat he was wearing.  
He pulled a lure out of the box and hooked it to the end of the fishing line before lowering it into the hole, one big enough for a man to go fit through.

And there was the other problem, all it took was one slip up on the ice for him to end up back into the water, and he didn’t think he’d get lucky a second time. 

Not feeling entirely sure what he was supposed to do, Steve just let the line keep sinking deeper until he snagged something and in that moment any misgivings gave way to excitement as he leaned over and began to quickly reel in whatever he had caught. It sure felt heavy, or that could have just been the water; he could almost forgive Stark for sending him out to the middle of nowhere.

When he pulled his catch out of the water, everything he was thinking flew out the window as he stared in horror at the hook having got caught in the ribcage of a human skeleton. Steve wondered what poor soul had ended up at the bottom of the lake and wasn’t as lucky as he had been. He reached out to take the hook out when the hand moved. It tried to grab Steve, but he reeled back, adrenaline coursing through him, and it caused him to turn and run out of the hut to flee from the monstrosity.

Supervillans on the run had been hard enough to deal with, but living skeletons? He wanted no part of it.

He could hear clacking behind him and knew the thing was chasing after him far too close for comfort and he ran right into his cabin and shut the door behind him. He shrugged out of his coat and reached for something that could be used as a weapon. The sound of clacking stopped when his coat hit the wood of his cabin and when he looked down; he saw a pile of bones with the hook having got in his coat. 

Steve felt his sense return to him and with it rational thought came back. From his shock at seeing the remains in the water, the moving hand must have just been a trick of the mind, or at least that’s what he told himself as he approached the pile. He stared down at it with sympathy as he reminded himself that this was a _human being_ he had pulled from the bottom of the lake.

Steve removed the hook from the ribcage and his coat before he began to try and put the skeleton back together, but he didn’t know where some of the parts went so he put what he _could_ back together. 

His getaway had clearly just been cut short it seemed.

When he was done with finishing what he could, the sun had already gone down. Steve wiped at his brow that had formed there, a few water droplets falling onto the bones before he made his way to the bed, though his gaze landed on the skeleton once with more a sympathetic gaze.

He hoped someone was at least missing this person.

\-------

He had been too hasty with seeing the human and had tried to grab him, but he could see that he’d scared the human and after biting down onto the coat the man was wearing, he played dead. It had been so long before he had seen another human, with only the water, the fish, and his thoughts to keep him company. When his chance to survive showed itself, and the man ran from the water, from _him_ , he had latched onto it-quite literally.

He _finally_ had a chance to be _him_ again.

The kind act of piecing him back together genuinely surprised, as aside from only one, no one bothered to touch him, and when others did, it was always out of cruelty.

He decided that even though he had long gotten bitter about everything with a festering hatred, he was not going to take it out on this kind man, he _couldn’t_ take it out on him, he wanted to be himself after all; and being himself entailed never lashing out no matter what. 

When the water hit his bones, he _felt_ it, and he wanted to jolt; he wanted, no _needed_ more of it to be himself, the promise of life calling to him as he watched the man walk over to his bed. He knew it would be painful for the both of them, but the man would have the bliss of sleep to cover it up.

He reached out his bony hands and dragged himself over to the bed, the clacking not enough to stir the man from his slumber. He pulled himself up onto the bed when he reached the man and stared down at the face of the man that gazed at him with a myriad of emotions; many of which had been directed at him previously; the last one though bringing his forgiveness up as only one had ever looked at him with that expression when he relayed the acts against him. 

There would be an offer of retribution, but he’d always decline. He had enough reasons to be distrusted; he would not bring upon himself even more.

He reached out and gripped at the flesh of the neck and face, the only pieces of skin accessible as he wanted to save his strength for what he was going to do next. _“Flesh,”_ he whispered in an ancient tongue from a time long ago, _“flesh, flesh, make me whole and_ grow.”

He continued his chanting even when the man’s face contorted, and he felt his own pain begin, but he continued on through the feel of skin forming on his bones, the organs reforming inside him, the hair on his head, and finally the feel of a heartbeat pulsed through him. He let out the first breath in what felt like a million years, the feel of tears prickling at his eyes signalling his joy at his accomplishment; oh how he had long to hear that sound, to _feel_ it once more.

He glanced down at the man he had to thank for making this possible and brushed the hair back, the warmth of another bringing lightness to his heart and he smiled, once more feeling the muscles contract in his face and he wanted to do so much more, but he was tired and it could wait until the dawn. He curled up underneath the blanket next to the man and closed his eyes.

Sleep was such a wonderful thing to feel once again.


	3. Chapter 2

When Steve woke up the next day he felt like he had just gotten run over by a truck or something of the like because he ached _everywhere_ on his person. The skeleton remains flashed in his mind and he wondered what he was going to do with them, it just didn’t feel right going back to what he had been doing with those bones lying on his floor. He sat up in his bed, his eyes looking at the floor by the door, only to widen upon seeing no bones, and that was when he felt the bed move under the weight of another.

Feeling like he was in a horror movie, Steve thought he might see the bones next to him, but when he looked down, he saw something he didn’t expect; it a was a young man, sleeping peacefully under the blanket, with soft-looking yellow hair, tan skin, but what caught his attention was the fact the young man was _naked_ under the sheet and more importantly; _how did he get there?_

“What the-” Steve shouted and fell from his bed.

Peering over the bed at him in amusement were two entrancing yellow eyes in the man’s youthful face. _“That was graceful of you.”_ he said in a language that Steve didn’t understand.

Standing on his feet, Steve felt his military training kick in and he crossed his arms. “What are you doing here? How did you get here?”

The young man tilted his head, his eyes, too old for such a face, stared at Steve like he was looking into his soul; it was an unsettling feeling to be sure. “I,” he began experimentally like he didn’t quite know how to finish, “was the bones in the water.”

Steve paled, and though he tried not to react, his fingers clenched his arms. He tried to think of other things to explain this proclamation, but the absence of bones and the locked door provide nothing. “What?” It was embarrassing that it was only thing he could say right now.

The young blond rolled his eyes. “I thank you for your kindness,” he stated sincerely, “and allow me to repay you…” he said reaching out for Steve.

Steve’s eyes widened and he backed out of the boy’s reach. “How old are you?” he asked hurriedly.

The blond raised a brow. “Why would it matter? Have things changed so much in the time I’ve been gone?”

Steve opened his mouth, but closed it after a moment of thought. “I…I don’t know, I haven’t been around much either.”

The blonde’s eyes lit up in understanding and he pulled himself up from the bed, but rolled his eyes when Steve looked away and put the blanket around his waist. “I didn’t have to be embarrassed about my body, times really have changed.”

“From my time people didn’t go around naked.” Steve retorted. “I have some extra clothes you can put on in my bag.”

The blond shrugged. “Fine, I’ll wear your clothing.” He said and after Steve handed him the pants and shirt and turned around, he dropped the sheet and put on only the pants, giving the shirt an unimpressed look. His eyes caught sight of the window and sun shining through; that familiar prickling at his eyes made him rush over to it and he stared out the window at the glorious snow and ice, but mostly his attention was on the sun.

It was so beautiful that he wanted to go out and touch it, but he wasn’t that quite ready to go out. He sighed heavily before turning sharply around and grabbed a hold of the man who helped him and hugged him tightly. “Thank you.” He said before releasing him.

“Uh, you’re welcome.” Steve said flushing. “But, how did this happen anyway?”

The young blond sat down on the bed and looked thoughtfully at his lap as he tried to think about how to phrase it. “I was attacked by my father; he never liked me much, and threw me into the water.” He saw the horrified visage the older man but paid no attention, it was old news to him anyway. “During my lifetime I was always regarded with suspicion because I was…strange you could say. My eyes were not exactly normal and I had…power and that is all I have to say about that for now.” he said not-so-subtly glaring at Steve to not comment on it and the man decided not to at the moment as he wanted to have the explanation out in the open. “I suppose I had used my power subconsciously because I had wanted to live.”

“So…magic then?” Steve asked and had a sinking feeling in his chest. Or was he an ancient mutant? The blonde’s eyes hardened as his head snapped up at to look at Steve.

“You are familiar with it?” he asked hesitantly.

Stark had always dismissed magic even when presented otherwise, though Steve couldn’t deny that there were things he couldn’t explain. What had occurred before he had been frozen was certainly one of them. “You could say that.” Steve said tentatively. “Though what I know could not be considered any _real_ knowledge of magic.” 

“Huh, but you _do_ know what it is, right?” The young man questioned and Steve nodded. “That’s all I needed to know, but that was how I…saved myself.” He added and looked away. “When do you want me to leave?”

“What?” Steve asked surprised. 

The younger man looked at him. “I assume you’d want me to leave as I am a unknown you have no obligation to, and though I do thank you for your part in helping me, I shall not burden you.”

Steve furrowed his brow, feeling confused about how this boy kept saying that. “ _How_ exactly did I help you? What did your magic do?”

“You see,” The young blond began lightly, “I racked my brain for everything I knew that would help me and that would include another being. Truthfully I had thought about attacking the person who found me because I had gotten so bitter and angry,” he didn’t miss the way Steve leaned back, “but your kindness changed that and when I used your own flesh to regrow my own body, I let you live; you would still feel the side effects though, such as an ache when you awoke.” 

“You…you were the one who was behind that?” Steve questioned and used the wall to steady himself as he thought about this and for a moment he really did consider kicking the boy out for using him without his consent. “Why?”

“It would have been less painful if you were asleep, and I was so excited to have a chance to live again that I didn’t think about how you would feel; that is why I offer to leave.” The blond explained as there was a glimmer of regret for what Steve had been put through.  
Steve pursed his lips as he thought about what to do next. He was stuck in the middle of nowhere with a strange boy that had used him to bring himself back to life.

How was this his life?

Taking one look at the boy, Steve couldn’t honestly believe that the kid was capable of surviving out in the wilderness, even  
 _with_ magic. He was lanky and reminded Steve of himself at that age-

His eyes widened and his mouthed dried. “What,” he choked out, “ _exactly_ did this _spell_ of yours do?”

The blond looked down at himself like he was noticing it for the first time. He didn’t answer right away as he walked over to the window again and stared at the reflection in it, his face softening. “At least I still have my face.” he said wistfully before he looked over at Steve seriously. “With my spell there was a catch, my body was human so to regrow I had to use that of another human, and in that sense I had replaced the source of my father with you.”

Steve’s lips thinned as he put together the boy’s choppy explanation. “So what you’re saying is that I’m your father now?” The young blond paused before nodding.

“Yes, you could put it that way.” He reaffirmed.

“No obligation? How can you say _that_ and think I have no obligation to you?” Steve questioned. “Or were things so different back then that a parent didn’t take care of their child?”

The blond paused once more. “I can only accuse one of my parents for not showing the proper care I needed, the other one…” he trailed off and shook his head. “No, the other one was better than I could have asked for, and taught me what I know.” 

“I…I need to sit down.” Steve said as the revelations just kept coming. 

With one spell of regeneration, Steve now had a _son_ in the most clinical way.


End file.
